Where by the Boldest
by Tea Elembeteg
Summary: Lyric is the girl who reads, listens to music, and trains to fight to the death in the Hunger Games. She didn't mean to volunteer so early, but it was destiny. As a Career, she is deadly, but can she survive long enough to win? Rated T just in case...
1. Chapter 1: The Reaping Day

CARELESSLY over the plain away,  
Where by the boldest man no path  
Cut before thee thou canst discern,  
Make for thyself a path!

Silence, loved one, my heart!  
Cracking, let it not break!  
Breaking, break not with thee!**  
**

-COURAGE by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

**I didn't mean to volunteer for the Hunger Games. It just kind of happened.**

** Why I didn't mean to volunteer: **Even though I live in District 1, a Career District, going to and winning the Hunger Games was not on my list of priorities.

**Why I didn't care about the Hunger Games: **Growing up in District 1, you are typically praised on how likely you'd be to survive in the Hunger Games. Parents teach their children from birth about how to win, and bringing honor to your District. My parents didn't. My parents taught me sciences, and how to play this instrument called a piano. They taught me to want to _learn. _My mother loved music the most, out of all the things she taught me. That's why my name is Lyric.

**How I volunteered for the Hunger Games (unintentionally): **They pulled my name out of the bucket. On my way up, I saw my mother crying, like the mothers in the higher-number Districts do. Someone volunteered in my place—I didn't see who, I was too focused on my mother's face—but I didn't let them take my spot like I would have usually. I told the Capitol representative that I wanted to go to the Hunger Games. I didn't tell them why, though—I lied and said I wanted to bring 'honor' to my District.

**Why I volunteered: **When I saw my mother crying, I realized she thought I was going to step down. Let someone else take my place because I thought I wasn't ready. I need to prove her wrong. I need to prove myself. I need to prove myself to _myself, _not only her_._ And I'd rather be dead than be a coward.

**What happened next that stunned me: **The girls are always called first. The boys are next. The boy who was called next was a boy I'd never met before, but always recognized from afar. I could never put a name to the face, though. The boy was elusive. Now I had him. His name was Piers Stellen.

**What Piers looks like: **He has bronze-blonde hair, and green eyes. He is muscular, but not overly buff. The only words that come to mind are incredibly handsome, or _très beau_if you were talking to my mother—she has a thing for dead languages. I think he's sixteen, a year my senior.

**After Piers and I shook hands: **He winked at me and wished my good luck.

**In the Justice Building: **My mother came and said goodbye. So did my father and older brother, North. North gave me a necklace he had bought me for my birthday a few years ago—it was a music note, to remind me of name. It sparkled on my neck in the light and I hoped my stylist would let me wear it.

**What my mother said to me right before she left: **"I'm glad you chose to stay as Tribute. Don't screw it up by dying."

**So much for caring more about learning than the Hunger Games and fighting.**


	2. Chapter 2: The Other Tributes

**The other Tributes**

**Their names: **The ones I picked up on—Me and Piers from 1, Moss and Knute from 2, Trey from 3, Felix from 4, Ozias from 7, and Constantine and Paythinia from 9.

**The Careers: **Me, Piers, Moss, Knute, and Felix.

**The interview: **Mine went like this—

"Well, Lyric, hello."

"Hi, Caesar. How have you been?"

"Good. I heard that your brother was in the Hunger Games a few years back. Did he give you any advice?"

"No. He thinks I can win this on my own."

"I'm sure you can. What's your favorite thing here in the Capitol—that's different from District 1?"

"Well, they're so similar. But here you don't have Peacekeepers everywhere. I kind of miss the chance to jump people on the street for a nice friendly battle." Insert smile here. I never actually did that back home expect for like, twice.

"I'm sure everyone here would be happy to get hit a few times by you, as pretty as you are!"

"Thanks Caesar." Another smile.

"Why do you think you should win?"

"My brother won. I need to live up to that. To bring honor to my District. To show people I'm tougher than they thought." I feel a customary smirk on my lips.

** Piers' interview: **"Welcome, Piers. Nice to have you here."

"Nice to be here, Caesar."

"Well, you just heard your lovely fellow Tribute tells us why she should win. Why do you think you should?"

He leans in close. "To tell the truth, I don't think I should win." He leans back again and shrugs. "I've got nothing to prove. Lyric has something to live for, someone to go home to after she wins. If I die, well, no one will miss me."

_What is he saying? He barely knows me!_

"So you're saying Lyric should win?"

"Yeah, she has her brother, her parents, and I do believe she has a boyfriend." I fume at the sight of Piers' smirk. I do NOT have a boyfriend!

"She didn't mention him. Who is he?"

"Oh, I don't know. I've only observed her from a distance. I try to remain a mystery."

_So he does that on purpose! I want to walk out there and throttle him._

"I'm sure you do. Ladies and gentlemen, Piers from District 1!"

**My weapon of choice while training: **Throwing knives.

**Our training scores: **I get a nine—which is very surprising, but even more surprising: Piers gets an eight, lower than me.

**What happens when I talk to Piers: **I tell him I don't have a boyfriend. He acts surprised, and I step forward to poke him in the chest and tell him off.

Then I realize he isn't acting. He genuinely thought I had a boyfriend.

His exact words were "Maybe I just invented something in my mind so I could ignore what I felt—" and then he was cut off.

**Who really is Piers, and what could he possibly feel about me?**


End file.
